27 Nov Does your Talk match your WALK

“Let us not love in word or talk but indeed and in truth”
– 1 John 3:18 (ESV)

Scripture References
(1 Kings 3:5-13, 1 Kings 11: 3-6; 9; 11, Deuteronomy 7:2-3, Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 23:4-28, 5:44; 7; 48-40, 6:14-15; 7:1-2, Luke 23:34; 22:63-64; 4:8)

Epistemology of the word “Solomon”
In the old testament, there was a man of God, King Solomon. He was a king of Israel. “Solomon” /“שָׁלוֹם” is a Hebrew name which means “peace”. However, he destroyed his own peace because he did not walk the way he talked. In his life he displeased God with his actions that contradicted his speech.

Solomon’s talk
At the beginning of his kingship, he talked about faithfulness with God. “At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask whatever and I shall give it to you.”  And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.  And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.  And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.  And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. ”

• Solomon contradicted his talk with his walk

In his talk, he really pleased God but in his walk he contradicted and displeased God. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived but he had a problem with women in his life. Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines and these women whom he married and took as concubines were not God-fearing but were foreigners and one of his wives was the Pharaoh’s daughter. God commanded Israelites “You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.”
Solomon in his talk asked wisdom from God but in his walk, he did not use wisdom to choose his wives. He failed to discern between good and evil, because he chose foreign wives beside Pharaoh’s daughter and they led him astray. His wives turned his heart toward other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Solomon built an illegal worship site on the hill east of Jerusalem for Chemosh (the disgusting idol of Moab) and for Molech (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites). He did these things for each of his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods and the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord.

The judgement of God came upon Solomon “I will certainly tear the kingdom away from you. I will give it to one of your servants.”

Likewise, none of the prophets of the old testament were perfect. Then the perfect one came down.

• Epistemology of the word “Emmanuel”

In the Old Testament, there is a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ – “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.” This name addressed to Jesus Christ in Bible. “Emmanuel” / “עִמָּנוּאֵל” is an Ancient Hebrew name which means “God is with us” When all the prophets failed, then God Himself came down to show consistency in speech and conduct.

• Jesus walked the walk which matched His talk.

Jesus’ life showed us the consistency in speech and conduct. All the prophets, kings and priests walked before God but none of them was perfect in their lives. The greatest role model for us is

Jesus Christ. Jesus never contradicted what He taught and what he conducted. His speech and His actions always had consistency. The author of the epistle of Hebrews wrote “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

Jesus also rebuked the scribes and Pharisees by addressing them as hypocrites! “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger”. They were not practicing what they were teaching.

• Jesus’ Teaching

1. Love Your Enemies: Jesus taught love your enemies “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

2. Show Mercy: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

3. Do not resist evil person: “I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

4. Forgive others trespasses: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

5. Judge not: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

• Jesus’ consistency of His speech and His action

1. Jesus Loved His Enemies: Sometimes it seems to look very difficult to love your enemies and not only love but even to pray for them who want to harm you, but Jesus did that. He set an example for us on the cross when He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

2. Jesus Showed Mercy: Jesus not only preached about mercy but also from His life He has showed mercy to others “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So, He began to teach them many things.”

3. Jesus never resisted evil persons: Jesus faced so many persecutions, He was tortured, beaten and abused but He never resisted them. “The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded Him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?”

4. Jesus forgave others’ sins: Jesus not only preached about forgiveness but also in His walk He forgave many people’s sins. “Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

5. Jesus never Judged: Jesus is God. He had the authority in Heaven and the earth but He never passed Judgment on anyone but He bore all the pain and suffering and submitted Himself to His Father. “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”

• Apply Jesus consistency in talk and walk

Jesus set an example for us to learn from His life. What He preached He also performed in His action. This is true that we cannot walk in consistency in speech and conduct by our own power and strength. To walk in consistency of speech and conduct we need the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit will enable the fruit of the Spirit in us then gradually our talk and walk will match. Let us all examine ourselves does my talk match my walk? and learn from Him and ask the wisdom and power from God to apply what we talk in our daily walk with God.

Rev. Rahul Kuchekar, A former Computer Networking Engineer and Microsoft Certified System Engineer is a Theological Teacher and a Pastor in Delhi and he equips Bible College Students and Churches in Delhi & Dehradun for Evangelism. Translates Christian books and tracts English to Hindi and Urdu, He is also committed to sharing the Gospel among Ishmaelite’s group. rev. rahulkuchekar@gmail.com You can also visit his website www.abdihayat.org